Nussstangen (German hazelnut twists)
Nussstangen, a pastry popular in Germany, translates to Nut Stick, or something similar. Most recipes use store-bought puff pastry to make them, although I did find a couple of recipes that make a yeast dough and roll it out quite thin. Those made with a yeast dough would not have all the flaky layers that you get with puff pastry. From what I could infer from the recipes is that hazelnuts are the traditional nut in the filling. Hazelnuts are one of the most commonly used nuts in German baking.
Note: Some recipes use packets of vanilla sugar. A site, that has a recipe for making your own vanilla sugar, says a packet is about 1.5 teaspoons. To make your own: Cut two vanilla beans in half and place them in 2 cups white sugar; let it sit for 2 weeks. You can replace the sugar as it is used. You could also just add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the recipe. The packets are made with both pure vanilla and artificial vanillin, similar to our vanilla in the states which sells bottles of both, the pure vanilla being more expensive. I read bottles of vanilla are not ready available.
Classic Nussstangerl recipe
from https://www.tantefanny.at/
This is a basic recipe from a German company that makes puff pastry.
1 pack of Tante Fanny Fresh Puff Pastry
300 g
70 g ground nuts (e.g. hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, etc.)
50 g sugar
1 pack of vanilla sugar (a packet is about 1.5 teaspoons)
1 egg [white and yolk separated]
Preheat the oven to 220° C top/bottom heat and prepare the dough according to the instructions on the packet.
Mix nuts with sugar, vanilla sugar and egg whites.
Unroll the puff pastry with the baking paper rolled up and spread the filling on the dough.
Fold the dough lengthwise over the filling and cut into sticks using a pastry wheel.
Twist each stick in the opposite direction and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush with egg yolk.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with icing sugar.
Nussstangen mit Blätterteig (Google translation)
from https://redcurrantbakery.com/
Two layers of puff pastry, filled with apricot jam, marzipan, and hazelnuts, these Nussstangen (nut poles) are a classic, quick and easy German dessert.
How to make your own Marzipan
100 grams almonds
100 grams granulated sugar
1.5 tsp almond extract
2 tsp water (more as needed)
Blanche the almonds by placing them in a heat proof bowl, then pouring enough boiling water over to cover them. Let them sit for 20-40 minutes (the longer they sit the easier it will be to peel them). Then drain off the excess water and peel the almonds. Place the peeled almonds in a fresh bowl and pat dry.
In a high speed blender, add in the granulated sugar and blend on high for 3 minutes until it has become light and powdery.
Then add in the blanched almonds and blend again until it looks the consistency of crumbly sand.
Add in the almond extract and the water and blend on high until you have a smooth paste.
Place the marzipan into a bowl and cover with an airtight lid. Exposed marzipan has a tendency to dry out so I always recommend covering it right after it is made.
Filling
80 grams hazelnuts
200 grams marzipan
200 grams apricot jam
2 sheets puff pastry defrosted
1 egg yolk
Glaze
125 grams powdered sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
Prepare the Filling
Toast the hazelnuts in a medium pan over medium heat. Toss frequently.
Once crackling and oils begin releasing, pour the hazelnuts into a kitchen towel. Use the towel to rub the skins off of the hazelnuts.
Finely chop the hazelnuts and set them aside.
In a medium bowl, use an electric whisk to combine the marzipan and apricot jam.
Preheat the oven to 400 F, arrange two racks in the oven so they divide the oven into thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Assemble & Bake
Make the egg wash by whisking the egg yolk and 2 tbsp of water together.
Roll out both sheets of puff pastry so that they are 50% larger than their original size. They should both be the same size once rolled out.
Spread the jam and marzipan filling over one sheet of puff pastry. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over the jam and marzipan.
Lay the second sheet of puff pastry over the hazelnuts and press down gently. Cut into 1/2" wide strips.
Holding onto both ends of a strip, twist the ends in opposite directions so that the strip is fully twisted.
Place half of the twisted strips onto one baking sheet and half onto the other.
Brush each twist with the egg wash.
Bake both trays of nussstangen in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Rotate and swap the baking trays after 10 minutes to ensure even browning.
Once finished baking, they should be golden brown. Remove both trays from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Make the Glaze
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Drizzle the glaze over all of the nussstangen.
Notes
These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days at room temperature. But, the recipe can also be easily scaled to make only half as many.
Puff Pastry Nut Straws
from https://leeinthekitchen.wordpress.com/
I had some puff pastry left over, so I made these delicious nut sticks out of it. [She doen’t say if this is for just one sheet that comes in a package, just that it was left over. In the US there are two puff pastry sheets in a box. Either way, they do look good.]
50 ml soy milk
20 gr icing sugar
60 gr grated hazelnuts
1 pinch of cinnamon
1/4 tsp rum
1 puff pastry
20 gr grated hazelnuts
70 gr icing sugar
Water
Heat the oven to 190°C and line 1 baking sheet.
Unfold or unroll the puff pastry sheet. Slice the puff pastry in two halves.
Spread the nut filling on one half of the puff pastry. Place the second half on top.
Cut the pastry into long strips. Transfer each strip to one of the baking sheets, spaced an inch or so apart.
Brush with a little soymilk and sprinkle with the grated hazelnuts.
Bake 15 to 25 minutes.
Let cool until the straws are firm enough to lift from the sheet without bending. Transfer to a cooling rack or serving plate.
Mix the sugar glaze and spread over the nut sticks. Sprinkle with icing sugar.
Puff Pastry Chocolate Twists - Nussstangen
from https://humbly-homemade.com/
These delicious puff pastry twists are called Nussstangen in German, which translates to “nut bars”. The filling is made of chopped hazelnuts and a chocolate hazelnut spread, which adds a crunchy texture and delicious flavor. While Nussstangen taste best fresh and warm from the oven, they stay surprisingly flaky and crunchy after a few days.
1 package puff pastry (17.3 ounces, thawed in the fridge)
3/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unfold the two sheets of the thawed, cold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
Use a rolling pin to gently roll them out until the folds and any tears are sealed together. They should each be roughly 32 cm x 26 cm.
Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate hazelnut spread onto one sheet of puff pastry in an even layer.
Sprinkle about two-thirds of the chopped hazelnuts on top.
Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the chocolate hazelnut spread.
Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice the sandwiched puff pastry into 1-inch strips.
You can cut them lengthwise (parallel to the long edges) for longer twists, or widthwise (parallel to the short edges) for shorter twists.
Hold the two ends of a single puff pastry strip, and twist it several times. Pinch the ends of the twists, so they don’t unravel in the oven. Repeat with the remaining strips, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl with one tablespoon of water, then brush it onto the puff pastry twists.
Sprinkle the remaining chopped hazelnuts on each twist.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the twists are golden and flaky. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!!
